Soaked in Sorsogon Day 2: The Beaches of Matnog
Soaked in Sorsogon Day 3: Paguriran Island
Side Trip: Camarines Sur Water sports Complex
April 19, Friday, in a bus along EDSA, 6:30 PM.
'Twas a reminder of why I would never consider working for a company that would require me to pass by EDSA. Coming from Alabang, I've been stuck in traffic for more than two hours and I am still three MRT stations away from Cubao.
And after what felt like a thousand curses, I finally arrived at Araneta Center. As what I've said, I am not an EDSA-type of person so I don't know where the Bicol bound bus stations are. I asked a couple of sidewalk vendors, and even they do not know where it is. WTF. I felt like they are playing some scheme on me, no one seems to want to help and they would just blankly stare at me and then look at each other.
Oh, Metro Manila. Your polluted air had affected the minds of the people that inhabits you. Thankfully, in a few hours I will be free from you and I will be once again reunited with fresh-air-breathing genuine people and their warm smiles. This is one of the reason why I travel, to remind myself that there is more to this country than the insurmountable amount of shit, literally and figuratively, in the Metro.
The Bicol bound bus stations are just along the south bound lane of EDSA, near the Cubao MRT station. At 7:00 PM, we still don't have a bus ticket for our Southern Luzon escapade. The popular bus companies: Penafracia, Isarog and DLTB are all fully booked. Me and my travel buddies thought our Bicol trip will be doomed until we came across the Piltranco Bus Terminal.
The bus conductor of Amihan Bus Lines told us that they still have plenty of seats for the bus bound to Legazpi and that the one that we will be riding is an express bus with only one stop after 5 hours. We thought we were so lucky to find this bus by chance until we were halfway along the trip. It isn't an express trip. It stopped in Makati, in Alabang, in Turbina, in Quezon, in Daet, in Naga, and in every person needing a ride in Legazpi. It took us more than 13 hours to get to Legazpi. I am not complaining though, I still think the two hours bus ride along EDSA is much worse than the 13 hours shakey ride to Legazpi.
